“ Running the good race ” takes on new meaning after first marathon
Deacon Dan Ramos , Companions of the Cross
Years ago , upon finishing my first half-marathon with my legs feeling like jelly I told myself , “ There ’ s absolutely no way I can ever run twice this distance !” Several weeks ago however , I crossed the finish line with the same jelly-leg feeling but this time after completing 26.2 miles . I had just finished my first-ever full marathon ! And although I ’ ve always loved all kinds of physical activity , this was by far one of the most challenging things I ’ ve done . From the training to recovery to nutrition to the race day details , these past five months have taken a lot of commitment and involved a lot of learning . And as I reflect on it now , it ’ s so clear to me why the Scriptures often use running imagery and language to speak of the spiritual life ; the parallels are undeniable . Without a doubt , running my marathon has shed light on my spiritual life in very concrete ways .
Allow me to share just a few .
HUMILITY
Truth be told , this was my second attempt at my first marathon . In 2021 , I was training as one of my “ beforeturning-30-bucket-list ” items . Six weeks out from race day , I injured both calf muscles during a training run and that was the end of that . It was discouraging and frustrating to say the least . And yet , there ’ s no doubt in my mind that failing the first time was the best thing that could have happened . Coming face-to-face with my limit made me hungrier for the goal but smarter with the training the second time around . And physically , I came back stronger once I allowed my body to rest and heal . Getting injured truly humbled me and , in the encouraging words of a seasonedmarathoner friend of mine , taught me to “ give the training the respect it requires .”
In the spiritual life , humility is one of the highest virtues . Why ? It makes us more readily able to turn to God in dependence . It ’ s often self-recognition of our weaknesses that opens us up to
experience the power of God in our lives . St . Paul knew this by experience , going so far as to write that he gladly boasts of his weaknesses ( 2 Corinthians 12:9- 10 ). God becomes our strength when we realize that we can ’ t do it on our own . The entire spiritual life is coming to realize that it ’ s all God ’ s grace , and we ’ re merely recipients and cooperators .
END GOAL MINDSET
Serious training forced me to constantly have my end goal in mind : completing a marathon . Always being conscious of my goal allowed me to adapt as necessary . I could exercise more discipline in doing the things that would get me there and not doing the things that wouldn ’ t . This meant saying no even to good things like playing other sports I normally enjoy or hanging out late into the night knowing that I had a long training run the following morning . Even on race day , this principle was at work . In the last quarter of the race , I could feel my
38 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Fall 2022